Returning to school can stir up many emotions for our children. Feelings of anxiety are perfectly normal. Experts say it is important for parents/guardians to encourage their children to talk about their fears. Try to use open ended question that will not instill even more worries. Questions such as, “You seem a little down, is there something on your mind?” After this discussion, encourage them to think of ways to solve their problem by brainstorming ways they could handle the situation. Perhaps role-play may help them. Then you can help them focus on the positives of going back to school by asking questions such as “What are three things that are exciting about going back to school?”.
For all students, it is important to try to get back into routines.
Here are some tips:
- Create a bedtime and morning routine
- Establish and get them used to their sleep schedule (10 hours is great)
- Ask them each morning how they are feeling, to get them use to daily health checks
- Discuss and prepare healthy snacks and lunches (Please label their lunch bags.)
- Have them practice making their own lunches (or helping make it)
- Organize their school clothes, sweaters, rain jackets and shoes (Please label them!)
- Designate a “School Stuff” zone in your home
- Build in time for reading, writing, drawing, getting outside for exercise
- Take a walk around Malkin Park
- Ask them how they are feeling and what they are excited about and discuss what our school Code of Conduct “looks like” – Be Safe, Be Kind, Be Fair!
- Go over COVID Health and Safety routines such as hand washing, how to properly handle a mask, not touching their face, distancing (this will also be taught at school.)
- If possible, organize play dates within their “COVID bubbles”
- Organize any school supplies, such as a pencil case, lunch bag etc. (We do not have a list, but they may want to have some of their own supplies that are just for them.)